Care tips for your pergola

There are many factors that can contribute to a pergola that is looking worse for wear. From vines that are strangulating to over grown shrubbery your pergola is subject to the plants in and around your out door area as they grow and become more established.

Environmental factors can also add to the lack lustre appearance of your pergola and affect the materials on your structure.Extended bouts of wet weather can bring about mould or moss. Long dry summers can stress and deplete paint and timber.

Aside from factors that are not of your doing, things like deteriorating furniture and paint and dirty posts and floor coverings can also make your pergola become an unpleasant place to be.

Caring for your pergola should be on the list of things to around the house when it comes to property maintenance.

Many spend years encouraging a winsome wisteria or tending to the delicate tendrils of a jasmine or passion vine but after a time these creeping plants can become burden to your outdoor area. As the years pass, some vines harden and put immense and unwanted pressure onto the structure of your pergola or patio. Keeping an eye on these plants and dligiently trimming their growth will ensure that their beautiful winding stems do not become a problem.

Keeping cobwebs, moths and bugs away from corners, crevices and light fittings will also help to keep pergolas looking welcoming and well cared for.

Being exposed to the elements is one of the main reasons for a pergola to lose it’s looks. In times of extreme rain and moisture, timber frames can attract unwanted mossy growths and sometimes even mould. By nipping these problems in the bud, you can prevent excessive growth of these kinds of fungus and plants. Using a bleach solution for mould and simply scraping the moss off with a paint scraper should keep these issues at bay.

Australia is famous for it’s long summers filled with many days of dry and relentless heat. This kind of weather wreaks havoc on many of our outdoor amenities like furniture and our beloved pergolas. The timber variety especially will suffer for long periods of dry heat. There is not much to remedy this, other than using good quality, heat resistant paint. However, re-painting timber pergolas is simply a fact of life if you want to enjoy the visual beauty of a timber frame. Again, choosing a durable, high quality paint is essential for long term pergola care.

Metal, plastic and composite frames can remove the need for repainting but unfortunately no pergola is resistant to dirt and grime from exposure. Regular washing down with a sugar soap solution or a simple hot water scrubbing will help keep your frame and posts from looking worn and deteriorated.

The floor covering, will also benefit from a good wash from time to time. Paving, tiles and bricks will look amazing after a steam clean or a good soak with a gerni and timber or slate will remain in good condition with regular gentle mop.

If your pergola has a cooking or BBQ area, be sure to keep that section clean and well maintained. Don’t let grease and oil spill out onto floor coverings and furniture. Keeping the equipment clean and grease free will not only keep the out door area looking good but also maintain hygiene where food is cooked.

Keeping your out door furniture in good repair will ensure your pergola will always be an inviting place. Replacing torn and faded cushions, keeping timbers oiled and your tables clean will make your pergola feel like a welcome and comfortable space.

By staying on top of all of these problem areas, your pergola care will become a simple household task, instead of a big job that creeps up on you once a year.